Bulgaria’s Health Minister: Number of people wanting jab against Covid-19 has increased sharply
The number of people in Bulgaria wanting to be immunised against Covid-19 has sharply increased, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said on February 20, as large queues formed at vaccination points in major cities in the country.
The queues formed, as The Sofia Globe reported earlier, after Bulgaria’s government pivoted to allowing, this weekend, anyone wanting a Covid-19 vaccination to get one – irrespective of whether they are in a category currently eligible under the national vaccination plan.
All vaccination centres in Bulgaria also will be open on February 21.
Angelov said that consideration was being given to opening “green corridors” for all who want to be vaccinated on weekdays as well, but as yet there was no decision.
He said that the online system for those wanting to register to receive vaccinations would likely begin operating on March 3.
Angelov said that arrangements currently being implemented by health authorities were very good and said that he was extremely satisfied with the pace of vaccination against Covid-19 in Bulgaria.
This was in contrast to his remarks some days ago, when Angelov expressed disappointment at the slow pace of Covid-19 vaccinations in Bulgaria.
Major-General Ventsislav Mutafchiyski, head of the Military Medical Academy (MMA) and of the national operational HQ against Covid-19, said that on February 20, more than 450 people had been vaccinated at the MMA. There was extremely serious interest among young people in being vaccinated, he said.
Angelov said that it was bad that people were having to wait outside to be vaccinated. He said that the possibility of opening a vaccination centre in one of Sofia’s halls had been rejected, because the option of setting up more vaccination points in the Bulgarian capital city was more workable.
The Health Ministry said in a statement that Angelov had issued an order specifying 318 temporary vaccination points.
The order also says that all general practitioners should participate in the implementation of the vaccination campaign by giving the jab to all on their patient lists who wanted it.
Data to be recorded for each vaccination include the name of the person immunised, the date and place of the vaccination, the product – name, batch number and serial number – the dose (first or second, where applicable) and the name of the doctor administering the injection.
The full list of the vaccination points is available, only in Bulgarian, at this link.
(Main photo: Military Medical Academy)
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